Appendix 1

Figure A7.6 Pro Tools FireWire fi ling structure
Appendix 7: Understanding File Architecture
table. It can be copied to any computer hard drive and reimported into the project when needed.
Other fi les used in the audio edit may be stored here in the project folder, for example an audio OMF
fi le.
Inside of the Final Cut Pro Autosave Vault folder, Final Cut Pro has created a folder for all of the
current projects. These folders contain the backups of the project fi le. This exact same architecture
is used in the Capture Scratch, Audio Render, and Render Files folders.
As Cinema Tools also uses this media, Cinema Tools may create new folders inside the Capture
Scratch project folder. Final Cut Pro and Cinema Tools handle the importing of fi les and media to
these folders, you only need to remove old fi les and media.
Cinema Tools databases can be saved in the Cinema Tools project folder. As Cinema Tools uses the
Final Cut Pro media folders, all that will be saved in the Cinema Tools projects folder will be the
databases.
The folders for title media and audio media should have individual project folders inside of them if
multiple projects are being saved on the drive. Some people save their titles and graphics in the
project folder in the Capture Scratch with the video; however, there are reasons to keep it in a separate
folder. If you are going to online the project, you need to be able to quickly fi nd and replace the titles
and graphics and you will be slowed if you are sorting through scores of video fi les looking for your
titles. Also, when the project is fi nished, you will want to remove all the video and render fi les to
clear up drive space. If, however, you save the Final Cut Pro project fi le or the Final Cut Pro edit as
an XML backup, the Cinema Tools database, the Pro Tools session, and audio media, the graphics
and titles, as well as any imported audio fi les and the original shooting tapes, you can rebuild the
entire project by simply recapturing the video and rerendering. The audio and graphic fi les can be
195